COMMUNITY BLOG

Compost tea, a brewed nutritional extract for plants derived from compost, is often mistaken for leachate, the liquid expelled during the compost process. However, compost tea and leachate contain different microorganisms and may have very different results when used as a supplement. Leachate is not recommended for direct application without amendments, while compost tea, once brewed properly can safely be applied directly to soils and plants.

According to Steve Renquist, Horticulture Agent at Oregon State University, compost tea: 1. Increases the species diversity and biomass of microbes 2. Increases the number of beneficial predator organisms 3. Increases the ability of soil to retain water and hold nutrients 4. Reduces need for fertilizers and subsequent leaching into ground-water 5. Reduces the accumulation of salts in the soil 6. Provides microbe diversity to improve soil pH buffering ability

Dr. Elaine Ingham, of the Soil Food Web Institute, adds “Chemical-based pesticides, fumigants, herbicides and many synthetic fertilizers kill a range of the beneficial microorganisms that encourage plant growth, while compost teas improve the life in the soil and on plant surfaces. ”

Variables that have a high impact on the production of compost tea include;

brewing temperature

foods included in the brew

oxygen concentrations during production

diversity of initial compost

time alloted to brew tea

​Researchers at the University of Arizona, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences point out the importance of following proper brewing techniques when formulating compost tea, "Though the composting process is adequate for destroying most pathogens, deviation from this process (such as addition of water and supplements during the brewing process, which could result in decreased temperatures in the compost), could result in the survival of pathogens commonly found in animal feces, including Salmonella, Listeria, and Escherichia coli, all of which are able to proliferate in soil with viability of up to 20 years"

Learn more about compost tea and the importance of proper processing and application.

Biogas is created during the anaerobic digestion of organic substances with anaerobic bacteria in the absence of oxygen.

Mostly methane and carbon dioxide, biogas is produced from animal and human waste, sewage, crops and plant material.

Biogas dates back to the 10th century B.C. in Assyria where it was used to heat water. The first modern commercial biogas facility built in Bombay India in 1859. By 1895, biogas was used to fuel street lights in the UK.

Biogas is used to generate electricity, to fuel vehicles and for cooking, lighting and heating.

Biogas is sometimes called swamp gas, landfill gas or digester gas.

Biogas burns cleaner than coal while producing more energy with less emissions than carbon dioxide.

There is enough cow manure, one of the best sources for creating biogas, to power millions of homes in the United States.

Biogas is 45% lighter than air, which contributes to its high safety rating as it dissipates and rises quickly.

Biogas is eco-friendly creating far less carbon dioxide than fossil fuels and reduces amount of waste in landfills.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Crops Subcommittee published a proposal on September 16th that would ban non-soil and container-based systems from organic certification. This proposal includes aquaponics and hydroponics among other growing systems.The proposal will be decided in the first days of November. There is still time to affect the vote by submitting comments to the voting committee by October 11th, 2017 11:59 ET. The NOSB has also scheduled a webinar to hear opinions concerning the ban as well as a meeting to be held in Jacksonville, Florida.

From now until October 11, 2017 11:59 Submit written comments and/or sign up for oral comment at the webinar or face-to-face meeting October 24, 2017 from 1:00 p.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)The Board will receive public comments via a webinar October 26 from 1:00 p.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. ETSecond webinar will be scheduled for overflow from October 24 webinar. October 31-November 2, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to approximately 6:00 p.m. ETIn-person meeting Jacksonville, FL

Access the following links to submit comments, sign-up for webinar or to learn more.